Limor Simhony Philpott

Israel has taken a big risk with its Hamas assassination in Lebanon

But the tactic could also move Hamas towards ceasefire negotiations

Credit: Getty Images

Israel today killed top Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri, in the most significant assassination since the war against Hamas started almost three months ago. His killing in Lebanon is not only an operational success, but will boost Israeli morale.

The fight against Hamas since 7 October has been fierce and difficult. Despite successes in uncovering and destroying many of the group’s tunnels in Gaza and killing thousands of terrorists, the challenges remain significant and the casualty count is high. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) still have months of fighting ahead of them, and it’s doubtful that they will manage to destroy Hamas completely. This has been cause for concern in Israel.

Targeting Hamas leaders has been a priority but up until today the IDF had only managed to kill field commanders and several key figures. Al-Arouri was one of Hamas chiefs Ismail Haniyeh’s deputies, and one of the founders of Hamas’s military wing in the West Bank, which he also commanded.

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